L’Atelier Nespresso, Lyon

I first went to Lyon about 24 years ago, and it was the
beginning of possibly the longest holiday ever! I say that because I haven’t
returned to live in Brazil permanently since. At the time, I was
still a teenager. I travelled around Europe, and Lyon was my second stop. I
have fond memories of my stay in this lovely city. Somehow, I ended up in
London, where I still live. Needless to say, I was elated and curious when I
was invited by Nespresso to an event featuring three Michelin-starred chefs at
L’Atelier Nespresso and a visit to the famous Bocuse d’Or 2015 contest in Lyon.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but this experience turned out to be a
heavenly coffee tasting and culinary escapade!

1)   Look
at your coffee

–    the
crema consistency and uniformity (crema is the white cream-like layer on top of
the coffee)

–    the
size of the bubbles on the crema should be small and dense

–    the
crema should stick to the cup

2)   Smell
your coffee

–    sniff
the vaporous aromas released from the fresh coffee

–    stir
the coffee to release more aromas and sniff again

–    the
first general smell sensation helps you evaluate the fineness

–    learn
the coffee through the smell

3)  Savour
your coffee

–    Slurp
the coffee. Part of the taste is in the smell. Slurp your coffee. By slurping,
you help pump aromatics back into your retro-nasal passage, the airways that
connect the nose and the mouth. This method helps with the perception of
flavor.

–    A
very simple hint on how to tell the difference: slurp your coffee while holding
your nose and experience how much you taste. Then, release your nose and slurp
again. You should taste a lot more because so much of the taste sensation is in
the smell.

–    Keep
slurping and try to swirl the coffee evenly throughout your mouth so that you
cover all the taste buds.

We tasted both regular Grand Crus and the decaffeinated
Grand Crus. The majority of the guests couldn’t tell the difference between
them. Nespresso has produced a superb line of decaffeinated Grand Crus: the
Arpeggio Decaffeinato, Volluto Decaffeinato, and Vivalto Lungo Decaffeinato.
Nespresso is offering something unique to all coffee lovers and those who can’t
drink coffee after certain hours. The decaffeinated range  provides the opportunity to enjoy the
delightful sensory profile of their best-loved coffees in a decaffeinated
version at any time of the day.

Nespresso specialists succeeded in creating an exclusive
coffee that has been decaffeinated using water and CO2 methods, gentle
processes that keep the structure of the beans, maintaining the same excellence
of regular Nespresso coffee. No decaffeinated process removes all caffeine;
there is still a minuscule percentage of caffeine present in the Nespresso pods.

After the tasting masterclass, we experienced a workshop
with award-winning French pastry chef Christelle Brua. Her delectable recipe,
Cafe Liegeois, incorporates Grand Cru Arpeggio with a marriage of ingredients
to make a diary-free treat, which she finished preparing on site.

We also experienced a three-Michelin-star five-course meal
featuring coffee in every single dish. The menus on the last night of the event
were prepared by Michelin-star French chefs and this year’s culinary
ambassadors, Emmanuel Renaut and David Toutain. It featured an array
of very palatable dishes, each one demonstrating that particular
chef’s expertise and philosophy.

Top chefs come in teams, from 24 countries around the world,
to take part in the final bi-annual competition. The final event takes place in
Lyon. The competition was established in 1987 by legendary French chef Paul
Bocuse.  Each team works for two years to
perfect a specially made fish or meat platter to present to
the internationally renowned judging panel. The dishes are judged based on
taste, aesthetics, and respect for the ingredients. The atmosphere is
electrifying, and the tension can be felt in the air over the final two days of
this international culinary battle.

Crowds gather to cheer their respective countries, and
it’s very exciting to see their enthusiasm and the chefs in action.
Concentration is rife! It was a brilliant up-close-and-personal experience.
For more on this adventure head to the lovely Ida Frosk blog